NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 8 – The Judiciary plans to acquire a building to house all tribunals in a bid to provide a one stop location for all tribunals.
Chief Justice Martha Koome who held talks with the chair[persons of select tribunals on Wednesday said the judiciary will acquire a Tribunals Plaza once the draft Tribunals Bill 2019 goes through.
The Draft Tribunals Bill 2019 seeks to provide a legal framework for transition of Tribunals to the Judiciary, by providing for competitive recruitment by the Judicial Service Commission, qualifications, tenure and other enabling provisions which are yet to be enacted.
Koome said the Judiciary will liaise with the office of the Attorney General in a bid to have the draft Bill prioritized through Parliament.
“Once the pending legal issues are settled, we will embark on actualizing the long-standing desire by the Judiciary to acquire a Tribunals Plaza to realize the dream of having a one-stop location for all Tribunals,” stated Koome.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with Chairpersons of Tribunals, Koome further said her focus is to have a multi-door approach which places central attention on Tribunals as primary doorways of justice.
She said Tribunals that are under the Judiciary currently have a total caseload of over 27,000 with a clearance rate of 75 per cent, adding that lack of a unified legal framework to support the transition of Tribunals to the Judiciary remains a major challenge.
Data shows that out of slightly over 50 tribunals in Kenya, only 20 have transited to the Judiciary in compliance with the Constitution.
“Tribunals, Small Claims Courts, Alternative Justice Systems and Alternative Dispute Resolution are at the centre-stage in our quest to have a justice system that is efficient, accessible, expeditious and cost-effective,” she stated.
Tribunals are coordinated through the office of Registrar Tribunals established by the Judicial Service Commission.